What is one tip that you learned about cooking that was simple but made a huge difference? [old]

I learned that from my mother, too. Learned the hard way that while potato water makes a lovely addition to the gravy, the turnip water just lends a funky flavour to it.

IncrediGirl in Home Cooking

Spaghetti with mushroom sauce

Ok, so way late to this party, but one of my favourite comfort foods growing up -- and what I just scarfed down directly from the pot I cooked it in and washed down with a glass of wine (yes, long day) -- is straight up spaghetti with Campbells condensed mushroom soup straight from the can. Stir, enjoy. Sounds disgusting. Looks disgusting. Is disgusting. But OH. MY. GOD. This will heal any scraped knee; mend any broken heart. Make a failed exam better. Cure a hangover.

My father used to pour condensed mushroom soup over pasta for me for every one of life's trials and tribulations. I will not admit to any of my friends that I eat this, but it's my secret go-to comfort food on a bad day.

IncrediGirl in Home Cooking

Recipes You've Never Heard of Outside Your Family

It makes a nice deep brown syrup, and the lemon contrasts the brown sugar so well. I can't do maple syrup either.

IncrediGirl in Home Cooking

Belize City recommendations? (Also, Costa Maya??)

Belize is amazing. My husband and I were married on one of the cayes last summer, and spent three days in Belize City before heading to the Island. A word of warning: Belize City is almost worth skipping completely. We realized on our third day that three days was two days too many.

That said, one of the most amazing meals we had during our entire 15-day visit to the country was at the Smokey Mermaid (http://www.smokymermaid.com/), located right in the tourist centre of the city, very close to the Bliss Lighthouse. The service was amazing and the food even better. Squito, the resident cat, was also adorable. We both had snapper dishes--mine was cajun and his was yuca crusted. Absolutely heavenly.

There's also a stone-grill restaurant in the Radisson Hotel, directly across the street from the Smoky Mermaid. Simple food, but very good. Do make sure you try a journey cake while in Belize. The locals told us about a flour shortage in the country, but damn, do those Belizeans make some fine bread. And my husband still hasn't stopped raving about the Belizean bacon--and we're Canadian!

ETA: If you're looking for drink options, you may be limited. Belize has a monopoly on beer and there is only one brand available, Belikin, or it's sub-brand, Lighthouse. Some places are able to offer Guiness or Budweiser, but both are brewed in the country by Belikin and will cost you an arm and a leg). There seems to be only one predominent brand of rum as well, One Barrell.

IncrediGirl in South & Central America & the Caribbean

Recipes You've Never Heard of Outside Your Family

I have never, to this day, found anyone else who has seen or tried pancakes or waffles with brown sugar and lemon juice on them. It's the only way I have ever eaten them, the only way I *can* eat them, my whole family eats them this way, and I have no idea where it came from.

IncrediGirl in Home Cooking